Overview
Tijuana is the largest city on the Baja California
Peninsula and an important metropolitan centre in Mexico. A
sprawling border town, Tijuana is not suited to everyone's holiday
taste, with plenty of noise and frenetic activity. Its location on
the American border and proximity to San Diego and other southern
Californian cities ensures a steady stream of curious day-trippers
and souvenir hunters from up north.
Tijuana's notorious image has now taken a back seat.
The sleazy element is still there but the focus has shifted in an
effort to clean the town up a bit, and Tijuana has become something
of a shopper's delight along with the intense nightlife and
non-stop entertainment. There are souvenir stalls, numerous
duty-free shopping malls, and markets selling goods from all over
Mexico, as well as countless bars, restaurants, and dance clubs.
The centre of the activity is the bustling Revolution Boulevard,
crowded with shops, bars and restaurants and their pushy touts.
Female tourists should avoid entering bars alone, as safety can
occasionally be an issue.
Tijuana has some more traditional Mexican attractions
as well, including bullfighting and Jai Alai (a Spanish ball court
game), but travellers to the city are generally not looking for an
authentic Mexican experience so much as a playground south of the
border. Tijuana does, however, make a fun starting point for those
exploring the Baja California peninsula and the beaches and resorts
to the south. While Tijuana has been a popular and safe place in
the past, in recent years violence between law enforcement
authorities and drug cartels has escalated, particularly along the
US-Mexican border. Visitors who still wish to travel to Tijuana are
advised to exercise extreme caution and check the safety situation
with local authorities and those of their home country.